April 15, 2023 – Austin, TX
When picturing a music venue located in central Texas named “Come and Take it Live”, images of cowboy hats and line dancing may come to mind. However, the Post-hardcore band, The Bunny The Bear, headlined a night of heavy music that moved the crowd in a much different way.
Their night in Austin was one of four Texas stops that The Bunny The Bear have on their tour that began in their home state of New York.
Opening the evening were three bands that hail from right here in the Lone Star State.
Taking the stage first was the band Krod from Victoria, Texas.
This heavy hitting band put their foot on the gas from the very beginning and never touched the brakes. Crushing riffs, blast beats, and breakdowns filled the venue for the entirety of their set.
I had the pleasure of being able to catch up with the guys in Conjured before the show.
This group came down to Austin from Killeen, Texas and said their influences ranged anywhere from Pop Punk to Prog Metal. However, once this four piece band took the stage it became clear that this was not a pop punk show.
An impressive range of harsh vocals supported by heavy, yet polished instrumentals makes for a must see show for any heavy music fans in Central Texas.
The most theatrical performance of the night goes to the band Resisting Vegas.
Many of this group’s songs were movie inspired, and they played on that theme well with multiple outfit changes, onstage banter, and even a reenactment of a scene from Ace Ventura.
Their sound straddles the line between hard rock and metal. The songs consist of fast paced instrumentals with mostly clean vocals. However, if you love a powerful scream over a heavy guitar riff as well, you won’t be disappointed at a Resisting Vegas show.
The Bunny The Bear took the stage with their two vocalists, Matthew Tybor and Jake Reeves, sporting a bunny mask and a bear mask respectively.
It didn’t take long for Tybor to start showcasing his high energy live performance. It seemed at times that he spent more time in the crowd singing, moshing, and having fun with his fans than he did on stage.
Reeves spent his time on stage singing his classic mid 2000s style clean vocals while plenty of fans sang along with him.
These two vocalist have an incredible on stage connection with each other and their band. Every member appeared to be genuinely loving every moment on stage. The energy they gave off was that of a newly formed band excited to finally play a live show, despite The Bunny The Bear being a long time international touring band.
Photos – The Bunny The Bear
Photos – Resisting Vegas
Photos – Conjured
Photos – Krod
